Berry-picker.



A. DALE.

BERRY PIGKER.

APPLICATION I'ILED JAN. 2, 1912.

1,038,302, I Patented Sept. 10,1912.

canoe/Mow COLUMBIA PUNDGIIAPH 60., WASHINCI'I'UN, D. Ca.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW DALE, 0F FUNKLEY, MINNESOTA.

BERRY-Prensa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10,1912.

Application filed. January 2, 1912. Serial No. 668,922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW DALE, a citizen of Norway, residing atFunkley, in

the county of Beltrami and State of Minnesota, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Berry-Pickers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to berry pickers, and its primary object is toprovide a simple structure for picking berries, and the like,

which may be readily adjusted according to,

the size of the berries for which it maybe used.

A further object of the device is to provide as hereinafter more fullydescribed, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying draw-- ings,wherein,

my invention. thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line8-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a detail@ perspective view of a portion of theside of. the receptacle showing the means for hold-E ing the picker inposition.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencecharacters.

Referring now to the drawings and specifically describing the invention,1 designates the receptacle or box, composed of any material such aswood, and comprising the sides; 2, the end 3, and the bottom 4:. Thesides; 2 preferably extend a suitable distance beyond the bottom 41, theextending portions being formed with longitudinal slots 5 cut out nearthe bottom edges thereof.

Designated by the numeral 6 is a series of paralled longitudinallyextending pickers or picking fingers preferably of steel or similarstrong material, said fingers being mounted at their rear ends on thetransverse rod 7 passing through each. of said fingers and at a suitablepoint intermediate their lengths is provided a transverse rod 7 parallelwith the rod 7 and passing through the fingers in like manner thereto.As will be noted from Fig. 1 of the drawings, each of the fingers isattenuated where mounted on the transverse rods to permit the openingstherethrough to be properly made.

' Mounted on the rods 7 and 7 are the spiral springs 8 between the coilsof which, at proper intervals, the fingers 6 are inserted, said springsbeing adapted to hold the fingers in their, proper operative relativelyspaced positions.

Pass ng beneath the transverse rods are adjusting links comprising themembers 9 and 9, the end of each of which is flattened and bentupwardly, being also provided with openings therein through which thesaid rods pass, the upturned portion of the members 9 being mountedcentrally on the rods 7 and 7 while the upturned portions of the members9 are mounted similarly between the extremities of the springs 8 and oneside of the receptacle 1. The opposite extremities of the members 9 arealso bent upwardly and pass through openings in the link members 9 atthe adjoining ends thereof forming pivotal connections therefor. The

' pickers,as thus described, are adapted to be Figure 1 represents a topplan view of Fig. 2 is a side elevation attached to the receptacle 1 bymeans of inserting the ends of the transverse rods 7 and '7 in the slots5, the ends of said rods being provided with notches 10. Hooks 11,suitably secured to the sides of the receptacle 1, are then engaged inthe notches 10, thereby securing and removably holding the pickers inposition. The pickers, when in proper position, form an extension of thebot-tom 4: of the receptacle permitting the berries removed from vinesor bushes to roll back or pass thereinto when the device is properlymanipulated. At one side of the receptacle are provided spaced arms 12between which is pivotally mounted an operating lever 13. The lower endof said lever 13 is provided with an opening 1 1 to receive the outerextremities of the link members 9.

Passing transversely through the rods 7 and 7 are the pins 15 locatedadjacent one side of the upturned portion of the link members 9, saidpins being provided'to hold the springs 8 in such a manner as to permitthe relative adjustment of the spaced fingers when they are moved by theoperating lever 13 aforesaid, as will be hereinafter more clearly setforth.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the invention will bereadily understood. When picking cranberrles or similar large berries,the fingers or pickers may be in their normal spaced position, as shownthereof, and by reason of the engagement of the upturned portions ofsaid link members with the fingers 6, the springs will be compressed andthe spaces therebetween being closed together. The proper adjustment ofthe fingers may be maintained by means of engaging the lever 13 with thenotched segments 16, as most clearly shown in Fig.

3 of'the drawings.

It will be seen that the separate fingers 6 may be easily replaced onthe transverse rods 7 and 7 whenever they become broken in the operationof the device, this being accomplished by removing the pickers bodily.

from the receptacle 1. It will also be noted that the arrangement of thetransverse rod 7 will greatly strengthen the fingers, being located at apoint where the strain is greatest in. removing berries from the vine.As will be evident, the receptacle may be of any suitable material,metal, or the like, and I do limited in this respect.

not wish to be Other details of construction may 'be' from the spiritof,

made without departing the invention and within the scope of the claimshereto appended.

Having thus fully described the inven-' tion, what is claimed as new isand means to simultaneously actuate all of said fingers to relativelyadjust them for use according to the size of berries to be oper atedupon.

2. In a berry picker, the combination of means maintaining the pickingfingers equally spaced.

3. In a berry picker, the combination of a receptacle, picking fingersmounted thereon, a spring adapted to hold the fingers relatively spacedfrom each other, means on the receptacle to compress the spring and de;.

crease the spaces between said fingers, and means carried by thereceptacle to hold the fingers thereon and permit bodily removal thereoffrom the same.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe such as wood,

1. In a berry picker, the combination of a receptacle, means for pickingberries mount-ed thereon comprising spaced longitudinally extendingfingers, transverse rods upon which said fingers are mounted, means forretaining the fingers in their normal relatively spaced position, andmeans for simultaneously adjusting the fingers closer together orfarther apart.

5. In a berry picker, the combination of a receptacle comprising sides,bottom, and a closed end, said sides extending beyond the bottom andhaving slots in their lower edge portions, pickers removably mounted inthe extending portions of the sides in alinement with the bottomaforesaid consisting of a series of spaced fingers, transverse rodsadapted to be received in said slots and upon which said fingers aremounted, means secured to the sides of the receptacle to hold said rodsin position on the receptacle, springs mounted on the rods and havin thefingers located between the coils of said springs whereby the fingersmay be held relatively spaced from each other, means also mounted onsaid rods and adapted to engage with the springs aforesaid, and meansmounted on one side of the receptacle for operating the last mentionedmeans to lessen or increase the relative space between the fingersaforesaid.

6. In a berry picker, the combination of a receptacle comprising sides,bottom, and a closed end, said sides extending beyond the bottom andhaving slots in their lower edge portions, pickers removably mounted inthe extending portions of the sides in alinement with the bottomaforesaid consisting of a series of spaced fingers, transverse rodsadapted to be received in said slots and upon 1. In a berry picker, thecombination of av receptacle, picking fingers mounted thereon,

which said fingers are mounted, said rods having notches on their outerextremities, hooks pivotally mounted on the sides of the receptacle andadapted to engage with the notches of the rods to hold the pickers inposition, springs mounted on the rods, and having the fingers locatedbetween the coils thereof whereby the fingers may be held relativelyspaced from each other, links also mounted on the said rods at one endthereof engaging with the fingers, and an operating lever secured to oneside of the receptacle and connected with the links whereby on operationof the lever said links will release and contract the springs and therelative space between said fingers may be increased or decreased.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ANDREW DALE.

Witnesses:

HENRY FUNKLEY, M. H. FISHER.

Washington, I). G.

